New Enterprise improvements coming to IE11 on Windows 7 and 8.1

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In Windows 10 version 1511, we announced a number of improvements to our collection of Enterprise Mode tools, designed to help customers upgrade more easily to Internet Explorer 11. These tools include a new v.2 Enterprise Mode XML schema, which is designed to be simpler, cleaner, more scalable, and to help ease list management. We also updated the Enterprise Mode Site List Manager tool, allowing you to import an existing v.1 XML file and automatically convert it to the v.2 XML schema. We added support for HTTP ports, and also introduced a new about:compat page in Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer 11 to help customers better manage their Enterprise Mode Site List.

To provide a stable environment where compatibility is a top priority, our goal is to keep Internet Explorer 11 consistent, no matter what device or platform you use it on. Today, we are excited to announce that many of these improvements are now available for Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 (version 1507). These improvements are included in today’s cumulative updates to Windows.

We have received great feedback regarding the updated schema. Customers are finding the new version much easier to read and manage than the previous version.

Below is an example of an Enterprise Mode Site List based on the previous v.1 XML schema:

Compare the same Enterprise Mode Site List using the v.2 XML schema:

Effective today, the v.2 XML schema is now supported on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, in addition to Windows 10.

We encourage customers to migrate their existing site lists using v.1 to leverage v.2. Going forward, new features will only be brought to the v.2 XML schema. Customers should not consider moving to the v.2 XML schema until this patch lands on all of their devices.

The Enterprise Mode Site List Manager tools have been renamed accordingly to reflect the new support matrix:

Internet Explorer 11 and Microsoft Edge both have, and use, their own Enterprise Mode Site List. We highly recommend using one shared list between both browsers to simplify manageability and maintenance. You can reference the same XML file in either browser’s policy setting.

about:compat now available on Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10

The about:compat page in Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer 11 helps customers manage their Enterprise Mode Site List by listing all of the compatibility features you or Microsoft have applied to sites on the client machine.

Effective today, the about:compat page in Internet Explorer 11 is also available on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, in addition to Windows 10.

We rely on feedback from our customers to continue making improvements to our enterprise tooling. Your input helps us prioritize and make these products better, so we look forward to hearing what you think! You can reach us on Twitter or in the comments below.